About Us

Mr. Dan Martin directed the Sprayberry High School Band for 26 years until he retired at the end of the 2000-2001 school year. He established a tradition of music excellence at Sprayberry and his efforts led to the establishment of excellent band programs throughout Cobb County.

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Several area bands got their start from Mr. Martin’s Sprayberry Band of Gold. Thousands of alumni musicians have acknowledged that their lives were changed while under Mr. Martin’s direction. Mr. Martin is Music Director at Acworth United Methodist Church in Acworth, Georgia.

Alfred L. Watkins was Director of Bands at Lassiter High School for 31 years. For six years prior to joining Lassiter, Watkins served as Director of Bands at Murphy High School in the Atlanta Public Schools.  Bands under Watkins’ direction have performed four times at the Midwest Band Clinic, six performances at the Bands Of America National Concert Band Festival and four performances at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference.  The symphonic band has performed on the college campuses of the University of Georgia (4), Florida State University, University of South Carolina, University of Southern Mississippi and Troy State University.  The Lassiter Flute Choir, Clarinet Choir, Trumpet Ensemble, Trombone Choir, and Percussion Ensemble have all performed on the national stage.  The Lassiter Percussion Ensemble has performed twice at the Midwest Clinic, PASIC, three times at the National Percussion Festival and four times at the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference.   The Lassiter Marching Band was the 1998 and 2002 Bands of America Grand National Champion and the band also won nine BOA Regional Championships. Under Watkins’ leadership, the band also participated in four Tournament of Roses Parades, three times in the Macy*s Thanksgiving Day Parade, twice in the Orange Bowl Parade and once in the Florida Citrus Bowl Parade. During Mr. Watkins’ Lassiter tenure, all four (or five) Lassiter concert bands received consecutive Superior Ratings from 1993 until his retirement in 2013, with the top two bands performing in Grade VI since 1989. The band program is one of only fourteen high bands in America to have received both the Sudler Flag of Honor for concert and the Sudler Shield for marching. The Lassiter Winter Color Guard was named 1996 and 1997 Winter Guard International World Champions.   Mr. Watkins has been selected as a member of the Florida A & M University Gallery of Distinguished Alumni, the American Bandmasters Association, the Georgia Chapter of the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame and the Bands of America Hall of Fame. He has received 16 Certificates of Excellence from the National Band Association, the Sudler Order of Merit from the John Philip Sousa Foundation and the Band World Magazine Legion of Honor.  In 1996, Mr. Watkins was Associate Director for the Atlanta Olympic Marching Band that performed in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.  In 2008, Mr. Watkins was received the prestigious Turknett Leadership Character Award from the Turknett Leadership Group, a Metro Atlanta Leadership Consultant firm. He was the first public school educator to have been nominated for this award. Mr. Watkins is Co-Founder, Conductor and Musical Director of the Cobb Wind Symphony, an all-adult community band based in the Atlanta area, which in 2009, earned the Sudler Silver Scroll Award presented to outstanding community bands in America and has performed twice at the Midwest Clinic. He is one of the founding members and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Minority Band Directors National Association, an organization formed in the summer of 2011, whose purpose is to serve, promote, celebrate and mentor minority band directors throughout America. In 2009 and 2010, two doctoral dissertations were written centering their subject matter on his life and his work at Lassiter. They are: Alfred Watkins and the Lassiter High School Band: A Qualitative Study by Sue Samuels, a dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Auburn, Alabama December 18, 2009 and Alfred L. Watkins: An Historical Narrative of His Musical Life and Work with the Lassiter High School Band by Matthew J. Thomas, a Dissertation submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The Florida State University, School of Music, Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2010. In 2013, he was awarded the Distinguished Career Award from GMEA.  Also in 2013, Mr. Watkins was selected for the “Leader of the Band Award” in an online poll of ten thousand band directors as one of the admired band directors in America.  Motivation Speaker and Leadership Consultant, Scott Lang administered the online poll.  In 2013, he was a recipient of the Image Award by the 100 Black Men Organization of North Atlanta and the Flourish Award sponsored by Kennesaw State University Schools of the Arts.In 2014, Watkins’ former students and friends commissioned composers Mark Camphouse and James Curnow to write works honoring Mr. Watkins and his career: “Second Essay for Symphonic Band” and “Lexus for Solo Trumpet, Winds and Percussion.” In 2014, Watkins received the Edwin Franko Goldman Award from the American School Band Directors Association for outstanding contribution to the advancement of school bands. The $1.5 million Alfred L. Watkins Band Building at Lassiter High School bears his name.  He and is wife of 32 years, Rita, live in Marietta.  They have two sons:  Christopher, as trumpet player/bugler in the United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own” in Washington, D. C. and Jonathan, a graduate of Auburn University (Finance).

Dr. Brandon Meeks is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and obtained a PhD in Music Education from Florida State University, a Master of Music Education from Florida State University, and Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Western Carolina University. He has taught in a variety of settings from middle school through undergraduate. His most recent appointment was as the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Houston. He has published research in music education in state, and international journals, and presented at multiple in-service conferences across the southeast. Some of his accolades include being named the East Lincoln Middle School Teacher of the Year, the North Carolina South Central Bandmasters Young Director Award of Excellence, and a recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Teaching Fellows scholarship. Dr. Meeks is a National Board-Certified Teacher and holds honorary memberships to Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. He enjoys lifting weights, playing piano, and currently resides in Woodstock, Georgia. 

Alan Armstrong retired in 2025 after 37 years in music education, including 29 years as Director of Bands at Northgate High School (GA).  His ensembles earned statewide and national recognition, from the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award to appearances at the University of Alabama Honor Band Clinic and parades across the country.  Deeply involved in the Drum Corps community for over 40 years, Alan performed with Spirit of Atlanta and has since served in leadership roles with The Cavaliers, Atlanta CV, and Spirit of Atlanta, where he is currently the Brass Caption Manager. He has also worked as a DCI judge, clinician, show designer, arranger, and consultant for ensembles in the U.S. and Japan. He was inducted into the Spirit of Atlanta Hall of Fame in 2024. A sought-after speaker and educator, Alan has presented at the GMEA In-Service Conference on multiple occasions and delivered leadership training and professional development sessions for students, educators, and directors across the country. He is passionate about equipping the next generation of musicians and leaders with the tools to achieve excellence both on and off the field and podium. He is an active member of NAfME, GMEA, the National Band Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Mu. He currently serves as a Market Specialist with Danley Sound Labs and he and his wife of 37 years, Ginger, live in Newnan, GA.

Dave McCarthy is a native of Revere, Massachusetts and began his marching career with the 27th Lancers Drum and Bugle Corps and was then a four year member of The Cadets of Bergen County Drum and Bugle Corps . As a member of the Cadets, he was part of both the DCI World Championship, and High Percussion Award. Upon aging out, Dave taught the Boston Crusaders and The Marauders Drum and Bugle Corps. Over the years he has worked with and consulted for high school band programs in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas and Georgia.   Dave is currently a visual judge for Winter Guard International (WGI) Percussion Division. In addition to his adjudication role with WGI, Dave has judged nationally for many circuits including, SCPA, MAPS, SCGC, SAPA, IPA, FFCC, SFWGA and GIPA. In addition to the indoors judging, Dave judges nationally for a variety of marching band circuits and marching band invitationals.   From 1995 to 2001 Dave was part of the design team for King Philip Regional High School Indoor Percussion Ensemble. King Philip was a finalist in the WGI Scholastic World Class each year including the 2000 WGI PSW Gold medalist. From 1997 to 2006 and 2011 to 2019, Dave served as the Marching Caption Head for the two-time (1998 and 2002) BOA Grand National Champion Lassiter High School Marching Band of Marietta, Georgia.

Neil Ruby is the Fine Arts Coordinator of the Carroll County School System.  He taught HS Band for 30 years in Carroll County, most recently for 24 years at Central-Carroll High School, in Carrollton, Georgia.  Mr. Ruby received a B.M. Degree in Music Education from the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia, and a M.M. Degree in Music Education from the Vandercook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois.  

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Mr. Ruby is the Immediate Past-President of the Georgia Music Educators Association.  He also served four years as the GMEA State Band Chair, four years as the GMEA District Seven Chairman, and as a member of the Music Selection Committee, Nominations Committee, Marching Band Committee, All-State Committee, and as a Mentoring Teacher for the State of Georgia.  He is also a GMEA-Certified Head Adjudicator for the Large Group Performance Evaluations. Mr. Ruby has received the prestigious National Band Association Citation of Excellence on six occasions.  He is a Teacher of the Year recipient in Carroll County and was chosen as the STAR teacher of Central-Carroll High School on 5 occasions and has twice been chosen as the STAR Teacher for the Carroll County School System.  Mr. Ruby was selected as the Teacher of the Year by the Wal-Mart Foundation and the STAR 94 “Teachers Make a Difference” recipient as a Georgia Teacher of the Year. 

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Mr. Ruby’s bands at Central-Carroll earned nothing but superior ratings, over 500 Class and Division Placement Awards, and 54 Grand Championships in 23 years.   During his tenure, the CC Bands were two-time recipients of the Exemplary Performance Award from the Georgia Music Educators Association, and the Certificate of Merit from the National Band Association on four occasions. The Central-Carroll Symphonic Band performed at the GMEA In-Service Conference in Athens, Georgia, the Southeastern United States Honor Band Clinic in Troy, Alabama, and Janfest, at the University of Georgia. 

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Mr. Ruby is also the Instrumental Director at Roopville Road Baptist Church. 

Jesse Madden is a resident of Valley, Alabama where he was born and raised. Jesse went to high school at Valley High School and then went on to college at the University of Alabama; in Tuscaloosa, AL to work on his B. S. in Music Education. While at the University of Alabama, Jesse was one of the drum majors for “The Million Dollar Band” and taught choir at a local churches.   After finishing at the University, Jesse went on to serve as Director of Bands at Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery, AL; after that  to Beulah High School in Valley, AL, and then to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL as Assistant Marching Band Director. Jesse has worked since the age of 16 yrs old as a Director of Music in Church, mainly at his home church Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Valley, AL.   Currently, Jesse is teaching as Director of Music at a Christian Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA. Jesse also works with a variety of churches in East Alabama and West Georgia, where he serves as a vocal music clinician. Jesse is currently one of the Drum Major Coordinators for “Spirit Camp” where he has taught for over 20 yrs, and he works as a traveling Drum Major Clinician throughout the Southeast.   Jesse adjudicates yearly throughout the South, judging drum majors, percussion; and bands. 

David Coheley is a resident of Powder Springs, Ga. and is the current Assistant Director forSpirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also the music director at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Atlanta. Mr. Coheley has also served as Music and General Effect judge for Winter Guard International, Drum Corps Associates, and multiple marching band shows and indoor percussion competitions around the United States.  Mr. Coheley served as   the Percussion Coordinator for the Southeastern Color Guard Circuit with his duties including Judge training as well as being chief percussion judge for the circuit. Mr. Coheley is currently the arranger and instructor for Marist School. He has also been the arranger for other local percussion programs such as Hiram High School,  South Paulding High School, North Paulding, Paulding County and Cartersville High School bands.   He has also served as arranger and caption head for the Sprayberry High School Band in Marietta, Ga., and Choctawhatchee High School in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida. Mr. Coheley was a marching member of the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps from 1981-1984 and served on staff in 1985, 1986, 1992, 1993, and 2005.  Professional affiliations include Georgia Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, Percussive Arts Society, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Kat Johnson has just completed year 37 in public education with 20 years as Director of Bands at Garrett Middle School in the Cobb County (GA) Schools. Her experience with marching band, drum corps, colorguard, and winterguard has spanned over forty years as performer, instructor, director, and adjudicator. Prior to her current position, Ms. Johnson directed high school and middle school band programs in Louisiana, Alabama, and in the greater Atlanta area.  Receiving her music education degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana (then USL), Ms. Johnson currently holds professional affiliations with the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, and the Gulf Coast Judges Association.